8-21-09
speed bench
black bands
warmup
175 x 3 x 5
seated db OHP
60 x 5
75 x 5
85 x 8 x 3
This is an extra day I’m adding into the schedule. A second day for bench work. Gonna ease into it, probably alternate between speed work and rep work.
8-22-09
deadlifts
warmup
365 x 2
405 x 2
455 x 1
495 x 2
speed deadlifts
405 x 3 x 5
SLDL
225 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 5
BOR
225 x 5 x 3
Good Mornings
225 x 5 x 3
If that looks like Coan to you, you’re right. I’ve bastardized it a little bit. Today would have been the exact day to start the program for my Oct. meet, however, I am also working towards a push/pull in 4 weeks. I worked up to a fairly heavy double (its been 6 weeks since I’ve pulled). Next week, I’ll shoot for 20-30 lbs more. I didn’t feel warmed up until about the 3rd set of speed pulls. I need to not take such big jumps in my warmups.
My low back didn’t tighten up on me like I thought it would, I guess I did put a fair amount of work on it through Smolov… My hands are absolutely tore up. I now remember what I am about to put myself through.
8-24-09
bench press
warmup
275 x 3
295 x 3
305 x 3 x 3
dips
bw +125 x 5 x 5
incline db press (neutral grip)
85 x 8
95 x 8
105 x 8
JM press
95 x 8
105 x 8 x 2
Looks like I’m almost back to where I was in my bench training before Smolov. So, I did a pretty good job of maintaining, at the very least.
8-25-09
squat
warmup
405 x 1
455 x 2
405 x 5 x 3
paused squats
225 x 3
275 x 3 x 2
natural GHRs
bw x 8 x 3
I’m not the squattin’ machine I thought I was. The plan was to hit a few sets of 5 with 455, sans wraps. It was a lot heavier than I remember, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re not squatting 3 times a week. Probably didn’t help that I haven’t squatted heavy in about 9 days, either.
First time doing the paused squats. I’m gonna bring those in every other week to work on my push out of the hole. I like them so far and probably could have gone a little heavier, but I had to save a little room for improvement…
8-26-09
pullups
bw x 12, 12, 15, 15
1 db Row (superset with Kelso shrug)
105 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 8 x 3
Kelso shrug
135 x 8
180 x 8
205 x 8 x 3
facepulls
95 x 12 x 3
This is usually an active recovery day but I’m heading to Tuscaloosa on Friday for a competition. A couple of guys from the gym are lifting and I figured it’s a good reason to get outta town and see the “sites” at U of Alabama.
I did get some sled drags in yesterday evening. Popped the cherry on the new sled with 3 - 50 yd drags with about 100 pounds.
Probably shouldn’t have done that on squat day…
8-27-09
speed bench
black bands
warmup
195 x 3 x 6
seated db OHP
65 x 5
80 x 5
95 x 8 x 3
band tricep extension
double black bands x 15 x 3
A little more volume and a little heavier weights.
That is all.
8-28-09
deadlifts
warmup
405, 455, 495 x 1
525 x 2
speed dl
425 x 3 x 5
SLDL
275 x 5 x 3
BOR
225 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 5
good mornings
275 x 5 x 3
Moving right along with this workout. 525 moved slow, but I never had a doubt I would get the second rep. My PR stands at 535 for a double, I may have to give that sucker a little bump next week.
The straight legs were still a little light and my hands were talking to me during the BORs, but thats the point right? I have a love/hate relationship with good mornings.
And now I’m off to north Alabama to watch some lifting. Be back on Sunday, hopefully with some good vids and pics.
8-31-09
bench press
warmup
275 x 3
295 x 5 x 3
dips
bw +135 x 6 x 4
incline db press (neutral grip)
90 x 5
100 x 5
110 x 5 x 2
JM press
95 x 8
115 x 8 x 2
I feel like my bench press is poised to take off. I know it is my weakest lift, I just don’t enjoy it as much as the other 2 lifts.
The bar felt good in my hands, but it was moving slow. Once I get my elbow to a certain angle, I know I will get the lift even if it takes a few seconds. I need to figure out how to get my strength up off the chest. Dips have been my go-to lift so far. Does anyone have any other accessory lifts that has hit the spot? Maybe I just need more speed work?
Has anybody ever used Smolov Jr. bench to peak for a contest?
[quote]mahwah wrote:
8-31-09
bench press
warmup
275 x 3
295 x 5 x 3
dips
bw +135 x 6 x 4
incline db press (neutral grip)
90 x 5
100 x 5
110 x 5 x 2
JM press
95 x 8
115 x 8 x 2
I feel like my bench press is poised to take off. I know it is my weakest lift, I just don’t enjoy it as much as the other 2 lifts.
The bar felt good in my hands, but it was moving slow. Once I get my elbow to a certain angle, I know I will get the lift even if it takes a few seconds. I need to figure out how to get my strength up off the chest. Dips have been my go-to lift so far. Does anyone have any other accessory lifts that has hit the spot? Maybe I just need more speed work?
Has anybody ever used Smolov Jr. bench to peak for a contest?
[/quote]
You bench a hellova lot more than me, but pause work on the chest has seemed to do good things for me as far as chest speed goes.
9-1-09
squat
warmup
405 x 3
425 x 3
445 x 3 x 3
paused squats
275 x 3
315 x 3 x 2
natural GHRs
bw x 10 x 3
and some ab shit
So, I was looking back through some past squat cycles and noticed that the only time I’ve used a high volume of squats was on Smolov. Having made pretty good progress lately with the high volume, I will try to continue it, although with less frequency. Gonna start to shoot for 20 working reps minimum (probably closer to 30) between my squats and a squat variant (paused squats, box squats, or lockouts). I like the hamstring accessory and heavy ab work on the end of the session as well.
Next week will be for a little bit of speed work due to a push/pull meet on the 12th.
[quote]mahwah wrote:
9-1-09
squat
warmup
405 x 3
425 x 3
445 x 3 x 3
paused squats
275 x 3
315 x 3 x 2
natural GHRs
bw x 10 x 3
and some ab shit
So, I was looking back through some past squat cycles and noticed that the only time I’ve used a high volume of squats was on Smolov. Having made pretty good progress lately with the high volume, I will try to continue it, although with less frequency. Gonna start to shoot for 20 working reps minimum (probably closer to 30) between my squats and a squat variant (paused squats, box squats, or lockouts). I like the hamstring accessory and heavy ab work on the end of the session as well.
Next week will be for a little bit of speed work due to a push/pull meet on the 12th.[/quote]
That’s a good plan. I’ll be interested to how it goes for you. Any plans to vary the set-rep schemes, etc.?
I’m thinking backwards from 30.
The variants will be lower reps. 3s and 1s for speed (banded box), tightness out of the hole (paused), and supramax work (lockouts). 3-5 sets. So anywhere from 5-12 reps there.
That leaves about 18-25 reps for squats. Looks like 8x3, 5x5, and 3x8.
Of course this is all off the top of my head and will most definitely change by my next squat day…
9-2-09
pullups
bw x 18 x 3
1 db row superset with Kelso shrug
105 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 5
135 x 8 x 2
Kelso shrug
135 x 10
180 x 10
205 x 10 x 3
facepulls
100 x 12 x 3
Not much to add, great workout with a massage to finish it up.
It was a good day.
9-5-09
reverse band DL
green band
warmup
495 x 1
545 x 1
585 x 1
635 x 1
655 x 0
speed DL
405 x 3 x 3
Short and sweet. Next Saturday is my push/pull, however I am more interested in peaking for a meet at the end of October. Basically, I wanted to get in some good work, but not too much of it. I am treating the p/p as a training session and will have a deload the following week.
I tied my previous PR with this lift and missed 655 above my knee (had to go for the PR).
Yesterday I did a little bit of speed bench with 165 and some black bands for 8 sets of 3. My elbow tightened up and I called it a day. Not enough work to deserve its own post.
9-7-09
bench (paused)
275 x 3
305 x 1
325 x 1
I worked up to my opener for Saturday, testing the elbow. It gave me no problems, was tight in certain positions, but nothing I’m too concerned about. Pressed it easy, as an opener should, and could have gotten another rep with it.
I also did some light and easy dips and some ab work.
I hope I’m not jinxing myself, but I may be setting an unintended PR this weekend on my bench. Sweet.
Gotta play a little catch up…
9-12-09
King of the Beach
Push/Pull Comp
bench
325
335
350
deadlift
515
545
575 miss
This was a decent measuring stick for where my training is going. I’m currently prepping for a meet at the end of Oct (7 weeks out now). My gym owner put on the meet and we had a decent turn out of 25 lifters, many of which had never been to a meet before. I ended up doing a lot of assisting, hand offs, advising, etc. so I sort of neglected myself.
The bench felt good, and would have been good for a 5 pound PR. Being a local, unsanctioned meet with so many newbies, the head judge was going with a very short pause. 350 was more of a controlled touch and go, so I’m not claiming the PR.
My pull was okay. 545 went up without hesitation. 575 would have been another 5 pound PR, and I got it just short of the knee. Just not enough in the tank and I wasn’t really in the right frame of mind to pull a PR.
I’ll be ready to go come Halloween.
9-15-09
Squat
warmup
405 x 5 x 4
paused Squat
315 x 2
335 x 2 x 3 (20lb PR)
natural GHR
BW x 10 x 3
a little bit of ab work
Good squat session. The squats got better in the 3rd and 4th sets and the pauses felt like air after the fact. Gotta start adding a little weight to the GHRrrrs.
9-16-09
pullups
BW x 10 x 5
db Row superset with Kelso Shrugs
115 x 5
125 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 12
Kelso Shrugs
180 x 8
225 x 8 x 3
facepulls
110 x 12 x 4
I wanted to start adding weight to the pullups, and gave it a shot, but my tricep is acting up and wouldn’t allow it. It gave me no problems with any of the other exercises. I’ve been icing it and got a massage, hopefully I get it worked out soon. My bench has been improving and I can’t afford to lose a couple weeks to an injury.
I had to reset my grip twice on my left hand with the 135, I got all 12 without reset on the right. I’m thinking of adding in another set of db rows, to use wraps and hit an all out high rep set (Kroc row). The biggest db we have in the gym is 145 and I’ll find out how many I can get without wraps next week. I guess that will determine whether or not to add the wraps. Currently, I’m using the exercise to help the grip and I’m getting the back worked with the horizontal shrugs (which I like a lot).
9-19-09
deadlifts
warmup
405 x 2 x 2
SLDL
315 x 5 x 3
good mornings
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 5
345 x 5 (10lb PR)
I was out of town for this workout, and needless to say this gym was not the ideal environment for deadlifting. Between bars with no knurling and no chalk 405 was a chore to hold on to. I got in what I could, luckily it was supposed to be a back off day, and felt fresh going into the good mornings. I decided that I needed to come away with some type of improvement from this session, and if I didn’t feel like the bar might slide right off of my back I would have shot a little higher. But I am happy with the PR and will be good and rested for the next week of training.
9-21-09
bench
warmup
315 x 3 x 3
225 x 8 (rep and a half)
dips
BW +135 x 5 x 5
incline db press
90 x 8 x 3
Good bench session. I’m progressing right along and it doesn’t look like my tricep is gonna hold me back. It bothers me on tricep specific work (extensions), but not on pressing. Good news there. Trying to get some extra work off my chest, I did some rep and a half work. More like a half rep then a full rep, counting that as 1 (if that makes any sense).